Okay, I’ll admit it: Part of me is getting a liiiiiiiiittle tired of the whole “hybrid pastry” trend. But at the same time, this latest one is a wonderful love story about what happens when two of my favorite things in the entire world get together — which means I can’t very well not wax poetic about it, now, can I? Ladies and gentlemen, meet the “Donnoli,” AKA my new favorite food obsession. Seriously, you guys. This one is totally worth it.
The creation of Frangelli’s Bakery in South Philly, the donnoli is part doughnut, part cannoli, and completely magical. Or at least, I assume it’s completely magical — since I live a few hours away from Philadelphia, it might be a while before I get to try one and make the determination for myself. It certainly sounds amazing, though; according to Foodbeast, it involves slicing a doughnut in half and filling it with chocolate chip cannoli cream. The bakery, by the way, has been around for an impressive 67 years, and its doughnut recipe hasn’t changed once during that entire time. If it ain’t broke, right?
Between the donnoli, the cragel, and (of course) the cronut, it might seem like we’ve covered all the major hybrid pastry bases — but I’ve been thinking. How far could we go? I’m sure there are unplumbed depths yet to be explored in the world of hybrid pastries, so I’ve come up with a few suggestions of my own. These ones don’t exist yet (that I know of, anyway), but they definitely should. And if you spot them in bakery windows soon, just remember: You saw them here first.
1. The Piescuit
Half biscuit, half pie. I imagine it would taste kind of like strawberry shortcake.
2. The Mookie
Muffin plus cookie equals mookie. Ideally, a mookie is sweet enough for dessert, but also hearty enough for breakfast. Don’t you just love a multi-purpose pastry?
3. The Bagoli
Take the filling of a stromboli, stuff it inside some bagel dough, and voila! The breakfast sandwich of champions!
4. The Scoundrel
I’m not totally sure how one would cross a scone with some pound cake, but however you do it, you’d have to call it a scoundrel. The name is too good to pass up, am I right?
5. The Tiramipole
A decadent tiramisu made with zeppole instead of ladyfingers. Best when shared amongst friends with a collectively enormous sweet tooth.
6. The Scuffin
I’m a cheating a little here, because this one actually exists. The best part, though, is that you can easily make this jam-filled muffin-scone hybrid at home using this recipe from the New York Times’ food section. Don’t worry if you don’t have wheat germ; I don’t typically keep any in my kitchen, either, but I subbed in rolled oats instead and they came out just fine. More than fine, really. They are delicious.
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Image: Frangelli’s Bakery
